Alão, SílviaConceição, JoãoDores, JorgeSantos, LèlitaAraújo, FranciscoPape, EstevãoReis, MónicaChipepo, ÁrciaNascimento, EditeBaptista, Ana CatarinaPires, VanessaMarques, CarlosLages, Adriana D SPelicano-Romano, Joãode Jesus, Paula M2021-02-042021-02-042021-01-05Clinical Diabetes and Endocrinology. 2021 Jan 05;7(1):2http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/15041Background We intended to estimate the proportion hypoglycemic/hyperglycemic emergency episodes in treated diabetes mellitus (DM) patients admitted to a hospital ward, and calculate the prevalence of risk factors for hypoglycemia and diabetic complications. Methods In this cross-sectional, multicentered study, the observational data was collected by physicians from patient’s hospitalization to discharge/death. Statistical tests were 2-tailed considering 5% significance level. Results There were 646 ward admissions due to hyperglycemic emergencies and 176 hypoglycemic episodes with a ratio hypoglycemia/hyperglycemia 0.27 for all DM patients. In T2DM patients the ratio was 0.38. These were mainly female (55.1%), functionally dependent (61.4%) and retired/disabled (73.1%). Median age was 75 years and median duration of disease 11 years. Half the patients were on insulin-based therapy and 30.1% on secretagogue-based therapy. Approximately 57% of patients needed occasional/full assistance to manage the disease. The most frequent risk factor for hypoglycemia was polypharmacy (85.0%). Hypoglycemia in the 12 months before admission was higher in insulin-based therapy patients (66.1%; p = 0.001). Conclusions Hyperglycemic emergencies are the most frequent cause of hospitalization in Portugal, although severe hypoglycemic events represent a health and social problem in elderly/frail patients. There is still the need to optimize therapy in terms of the potential for hypoglycemia in this patient group and a review of anti-hyperglycemic agents to add on to insulin.engDiabetesHypoglycemic episodesInpatientsjournal article2021-02-01The Author(s)10.1186/s40842-020-00114-3